In today's society, the face is essential for human communication, social interactions, facial feedback processes, signaling emotion and the perception of attractiveness and youthfulness. Scientists have long recognized the importance of facial expressions to communicate states of mind—this may include not only emotions, sensations, feelings, moods, personality traits and mental conditions, but also motivational, behavioral and cognitive processes.
Most people want to have pleasant and functional facial expressions in a modern social and communicative environment. Factors such as looking good for one's age, looking relaxed and natural, avoiding frozen looks, and maintaining a functional degree of facial animation are among those deemed desirable. Facial expressions play a big role in perceived physical attractiveness of a person, and people who are considered physically attractive receive preferential treatment in education, employment, medical care, legal proceedings, and romantic encounters that may result in greater happiness and success. The facial expressions of emotions are transmitted normally using static, dynamic, transient and permanent facial components.
However, both hyperactive (hyperfunctional) and hypoactive (hypofunctional) features of facial expressions can also transmit miscues about age, emotions, intentions and other mental states. In other words, facial expressions are central to human communication and the wrong facial expression can convey the wrong social message.